Former Tennessee football star, Montario Hardesty, hired as James Lawson coach

James Lawson has hired former Tennessee football running back Montario Hardesty as the school’s second football coach in history, it was announced April 21.

Hardesty, who played for the Volunteers from 2005-09 and had a three-year stint in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, replaces Brian Lilly, who recently resigned to take a job in Texas after coaching the Lightning’s first three TSSAA football seasons.

Lawson is Metro Nashville Public Schools’ newest high school, opening in 2023 as the replacement for now-closed Hillwood High School. The football program is 10-23 in that time.

More: James Lawson football coach Brian Lilly resigns after three seasons

More: See where Nashville high school athletes signed during spring period

The 2026 season will be Hardesty’s second in Nashville. He was the offensive coordinator at Centennial last fall under another former Tennessee running back, Jay Graham.

Graham was fired at midseason. Hardesty remained and helped the Cougars finish 7-6 and reach the Class 5A state semifinals.

Hardesty played at Tennessee during former coach Phillip Fulmer’s final three seasons, the only season of Lane Kiffin’s tenure and also coached under Jeremy Pruitt for one season.

Hardesty rushed for 2,391 yards and 26 touchdowns in with the Vols. His breakout year was 2009, when he rushed for 1,345 and 13 TDs. His season rushing yardage ranked fourth in Tennessee history at the time, and his carries (282) ranked second. 

Hardesty played three seasons in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns (2010-13) after tearing his ACL in 2010. He has been an assistant coach at Norfolk State (2015–2016), Florida Atlantic (2017), Tennessee (2018), Charlotte (2019–2020) and South Carolina (2021–2023).

Hardesty was a New York Jets special teams assistant in 2024 when head coach Robert Saleh was fired midseason. Hardesty and his wife, who is from Winchester, moved to Tennessee in the following months and Hardesty landed his previous job at Centennial. 

Lawson welcomes its new TSSAA football coach